“He played a lot of stuff,” April said, “and everything he played he was good at.”

Even as relatives urged George to focus on school — his dad would have wanted that, they would say — Chen’s younger son continued pursuing sports. He was named MVP of Del Norte’s first freshman football team and, until he dropped basketball and volleyball this school year, played on three varsity squads.

“Growing up, I had a lot of stress from my family, from academics, just from everything,” George said. “I think football was just the ultimate way of me forgetting about all of it.”

Answered prayers

April laughs recalling the clasped hands and high-pitched voices. When they were younger, Jesse and George repeated the same prayer every day.

God, please give us a baby, a dog and a daddy.

“The order is wrong,” April would say. “You need a daddy first. Then you can have a baby.”

She remarried 11 years ago. Then came a yellow Labrador retriever. Then a younger sister named Jade, now 10.

George admits his relationship with his stepdad has never been perfect, but he adds, “I can’t blame him for trying to be a dad. Going to a family with two kids, I can understand why it was hard on him.”

He says he doesn’t hold a grudge toward Frederick Davidson, who is serving a life sentence in prison.

“I just don’t know why he would do that,” George said. “Honestly, I would trade everything I have right now to take that back, but I don’t think I would’ve turned out the way I am right now. I definitely wouldn’t be playing football.”

He’s happy to be staying close to home next fall. His mom can attend every home game. He’s been told he may see playing time as a freshman linebacker displaying the same on-field intensity that impressed Del Norte football coach Leigh Cole, who has three sons.

“It’s great that he’s the first guy to represent Del Norte. Anybody would be proud to have him as a son,” Cole said of the boy who wonders what his dad would think.